


Iroh Has Known From the Beginning

by spiralicious



Series: Icy Smirk, Fiery Death Glare [7]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: AU, Backstory, Gen, Humor, M/M, Romance, fiery death glare, icy smirk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-29
Updated: 2012-11-29
Packaged: 2017-11-19 20:04:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/577138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiralicious/pseuds/spiralicious
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Iroh doesn't miss much in his nephew's life, whether Zuko realizes it or not.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Iroh Has Known From the Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for pinking, Kira.

Iroh had known from the beginning.

It had all started fairly innocently, as these things often do. He had been a first time customer and Zuko had just happened to be working that shift and that table.

Quickly, “he” had a name, “Hakoda,” and became a regular. Zuko’s schedule was erratic and when Hakoda missed him, he seemed less enthusiastic than normal. If he hadn’t been so friendly, Iroh would have sworn he was moping.

It became pretty obvious that Hakoda could be talked into ordering just about anything as long as Zuko was on shift. During an exceptionally busy day, he would linger longer than he had clearly intended to, ordering whatever was suggested to him, trying to get Zuko’s attention for just a moment. It may have been a bit wrong to use his nephew that way, but Iroh made sure it was known that Hakoda was to be sat at one of Zuko’s tables. Besides, plenty of regulars had favorites. It was always best for business to keep them happy. 

Iroh rethought that strategy, however, when he noticed that Zuko tended to be awkward around Hakoda, and not his normal awkward. It was something Iroh had never seen in his nephew as an adult. Zuko was never exactly friendly with the customers and he was socially awkward in ways he’d probably never outgrow, but he had learned to be polite enough. This was almost shy, well the Zuko version of shy, when he was thirteen. Iroh would have nipped it in the bud then and there, but when one of the girls sat Hakoda at the wrong table and Zuko just took it over as if it was his right to, he knew it was already too late.

Somehow, they had learned to sync their schedules enough that Hakoda rarely came in during a non-Zuko shift. It really did warm Iroh’s heart to see his nephew so light for a change. His softer temper and attempts at being social that he’d use with Hakoda, had started to creep into some of his other exchanges. Iroh wished he hadn’t stopped ease dropping on their conversations though. He’d liked to have known what had made his nephew suddenly smile like that. The shock of it had caused him to drop his favorite tea set. He tried to remind himself it had died for a good cause. 

Every once in a while Hakoda would show up during one of Zuko’s breaks. They seemed to be behaving themselves, but Iroh was fairly certain this happened more often when he wasn’t there. Zuko just looked far too guilty as they sat back at an out of the way table. He teased Zuko mercilessly about it and was rather thankful this was the one area of his life that his nephew moved at the rate of molasses. 

Zuko had accidentally stumbled upon a way to get him back for it though. One day while Iroh was in the kitchen, he suddenly heard Zuko loudly say, “Yeah right, your tips suck.” He hadn’t caught on that Zuko had actually sounded playful, for Zuko. All that was registering as he rushed from the back was that Zuko hadn’t been that blatantly rude to a customer in years. It made the rest of the exchange he witnessed slightly shocking.

“Well forgive me, my date the other night had the appetite of a starving hippo and it cleaned me out.” It wasn’t just teasing sarcasm, there was a bit of a challenge to it. 

“If she finds out you’re talking about her like that, you’re not going to get another one.” Zuko growled slightly. 

Iroh was torn between being happy they had finally gone out and strangling the man at the table for attempting to date his nephew. He settled on smiling and gently reminding his nephew that he was at work and that he was being loud. 

But that had been quite a while ago. Now, he had his nephew sitting at his dining room table for one of their weekly dinners, nervously playing with his tea cup, and looking at him hopefully. He’d just told him that he had been seeing someone and that he thought it was serious. 

Iroh put on his surprised face. “Oh? What’s he like?”


End file.
